Dispensing sheet material in predetermined lengths



Jan. 18, 1966 p v, OSBORN, JR 3,229,876

DISPENSING SHEET MATERIAL IN PREDETERMINED LENGTHS Original Filed Aug.23, 1962 PAU L v. osBoRN JR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent C) 3,229,876 DISPENSING SHEET MATERIAL INPREDETERNHNED LENGTHS Paul V. Qshorn, Jr., Webster, N.Y., assignor toNational Distillers and Chemical Corporation, New York, N .Y., acorporation of Virginia Original application Aug. 23, 1962, Ser. N o.218,898, nonl Patent No. 3,173,691, dated Mar. 16, 1965. Divided andthis application Oct. S, 1964, Ser. No. 401,345

3 Claims. (Cl. 22S-49) The present application is a division ofcopending application Serial No. 218,898, filed August 23, 1962, nowPatent No. 3,173,601.

This invention relates to the packaging of sheet material and to thedispensing thereof from a continuous strip, whether in roll or otherform. More particularly the invention relates to a novel container forthe shipping and storing of a continuous length of such material and tothe dispensing thereof in predetermined lengths.

It is a major object of the present invention to provide a novelcontainer in which a continuous length of prefabricated sheet material,whether in roll or zig-zag or other folded form, may be packagedconveniently for shipment and storage and from which such material maybe dispensed readily in predetermined lengths, the commercialrequirements of such a container including economy of manufacture, easeof assembly, automatic means for insuring precise separation of materialbeing dispensed in predetermined lengths along predetermined lines ofseverance, and inherent strength to withstand normal handling until thecontents have been exhausted.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel containerwhich will permit the successive ready withdrawal of a predeterminedlength of packaged material and insure the automatic severance thereoffrom the source of supply.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a novelcontainer for the packaging, shipping, storing, and dispensing ofsuccessive lengths of plastic film from a roll or other package thereof,such film being either in sheet form or pre-fabricated into sealedbag-like containers disposed in unitary end-to-end relationship, meansbeing provided for supporting and retaining the free edge of suchmaterial available for ready grasping following each severanceoperation.

Further objects and advantages of the invent-ion will be readilyapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan View of a blank of sheet material, such as cardboardor the like, which when set up will produce a shipping, storing anddispensing container constructed in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the shipping, storing and dispensingcontainer of FIGURE 1 illustrating a predetermined length of acontinuous roll of sheet material having been withdrawn from the cartonor container to severing position.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional View taken along the line 3-3 ofFIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view of one embodiment of continuoussheet material especially designed for dispensing in combination withthe novel container of the present invention.

As shown in the drawings, particular reference being had to FIGURE 1thereof, a novel carton or container C for shipping, storing anddispensing predeterm-ined lengths of sheet material which has beenprepared'in continuous roll or folded form, may be produced or set upfrom a blank of suitable sheet material, such as cardboard or the like.

ICC

Desirably this blank will include a front wall 10, bottom Wall 11, rearwall 12, and top wall or cover 13, suitable score or fold lines beingprovided between such wall portions. The free edge of the top or cover13 is provided with a front ap portion 14 and this flap portion, inturn, is provided with a reinforcing tab 15 desirably of lesser lengthand intended for adhesive or other attachment to the lower surface ofthe flap portion, the extending corner portions of the ap portion beingrounded as illustrated at 14a for purposes of convenience in closing andopening the container.

Integral end wall portions 16 are provided on the bottom wall 11 andeach of these end wall portions includes au integral top end ap 17. Therear wall portion 12 includes a contiguous end Wall flap 18 at eachextremity thereof, intended for attachment, as by adhesive engagement,or the like, to the inner surface of the adjacent end wall portion 16.The front wall portion 10 also is provided with a contiguous end wallflap 19 at each extremity thereof, intended for attachment, when thecarton or container is set up, in any desired manner as by adhesiveengagement or the like, to the companion end wall flap 18 and associatedend wall portion. To provide for convenient assembly, suitable score orfold lines are provided between adjacent wall portions and end flapsand, for nicety of fit, when the container blank is stamped out orotherwise produced, slots 14b may be provided between the top wallportion 13 and the front llap portion 14 at the opposed extremities ofthe score line therebetween. Additionally, also for purposes of nicetyof t, the side edges of the end wall flaps 18 and 19 may be tapered asindicated respectively at 18a and 19a.

The upper free edge of the front Wall portion 10 is provided with anarresting tab portion 20. Desirably, this arresting tab is centrallylocated and is formed by notching or cutting away the material of saidfront wall on either side of the arresting tab as indicated at 21, thesenotches extending longitudinally along the upper edge of the front wallportion and terminating short of the extremities to provide tab or guideportions 22. Each guide tab 22 is provided with an angularly inclinededge or surface 22m which functions to support the corner of the freeedge material being dispensed, as will be discussed more fullyhereafter, and retains such free edge ready for convenient graspingafter each severance operation.

There has been illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawing suitable materialfor packaging and dispensing from the container and, in the embodimentillustrated, such material is a thermoplastic tubular film F attened toprovide front and rear walls and sealed transversely at S to provide acontinuous length of bag-like containers disposed n end-to-endrelationship and rolled upon a suitable core 23. Located adjacent eachtransverse seal S is a tear or severance line 24 which, desirably, iscreated by spaced lines of slit-like perforations extending inwardlyfrom each edge of the sheet material or iilm, it being understood thatWhere tubular material is employed both front and rear walls containsuch slit-like perforations.

The precise manner in which the severance or tear line is produced hasbeen found in practice to be of importance and one embodiment thereofhas been illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawing. It is highly desirablethat this line of severance olfer varying degrees of resistance ofseparation along the length thereof. To carry this into practice, acentrally located portion of greatest susceptibility to separation isprovided, this portion being in direct alignment with the arresting tab20. Thus, as sheet material is withdrawn from the container and passedin a downward direction over the upper edge of the front wall of thecontainer, the arresting tab 20 will penetrate the tear or resistanceline immediately upon contact with the readily frangible central portionthereof, and thus continued movement of the tilm is brought to an abruptstop with the material per se, on each side of the arresting tab, comingto rest upon the notched surfaces 21, this position being illustrated inFIGURE 2 of the drawing. Exertion of continued pressure upon thematerial will result in automatic severance along the tear line and inthis manner individual bag-like containers may be severed successively,as desired, from a continuous length thereof.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 4 of thedrawing, the tear or severance line indicated generally at 24 iscreate-d by a plurality of spaced slit-like perforations. The slits ofthe central portion are relatively short in length and are closelyspaced, the tie portions therebetween being extremely narrow in width.On either side of the central portion of the tear or severance line, aportion of increased resistance is provided. Desirably these portionsmay include a minimum of three spaced slits, the length of each of suchslits being slightly greater than twice the length of the slits of thecentral portion of the severance line with the Width of the tie portionstherebetween having a corresponding relation to the width of the tieportions in the central portion of the severance line. On the -outersides of these portions of increased resistance, and continuing to theside edges of the sheet material, the severance line is constituted byslits of substantially similar length however the tie spacestherebetween are of a lesser width but substantially greater than thewidth of the tie spaces in the centrally located portion of greatestfrangibility.

Thus, as sheet material is dispensed from the container 10, andsuccessively separated into predetermined lengths, controlled severancetakes place along each tear line 24. The arresting tab 20, as statedhereabove, immediately penetrates the centrally located portion ofgreatest frangibility and continued forward movement of the sheetmaterial or film is retarded temporarily by reason of the restraininginfluence of the intermediate portions of increased resistance; it willbe understood, however, that this retarding of movement is overcomereadily by the exertion of continued pressure and automatic completionof the act of separation results.

The operation of the dispensing container thus described is particularlysimple. The top cover 13 is lifted and the free edge of the material tobe dispensed is withdrawn to some slight extent; the cover then isclosed with the front flap portion 14 extending downwardly between thefree material and the remainder of the supply (as is illustrated clearlyin FIGURE 3 of the drawing) the material now being in dispensingposition and supported upon the upper edges of the guide portions 22 andarresting tab 20.

Continued withdrawal of material will result in engagement of thearresting tab 20, which for ease of operation includes downwardly andoutwardly inclined surfaces 20a, within the weakened central portion 24ain the severance line 24 (as illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawing) atwhich time forward movement of the material is brought to a stop.Exertion of continued pressure upon the material will result inautomatic detachment along the severance line and in this mannerindividual bag-like containers or predetermined lengths of sheetmaterial may be successively severed, as desired, from a continuouslength thereof.

During the act of severance, some small distortion of the sheet materialtakes place whereby the severed portions thereof, on opposite sides ofthe arresting tab 20, i

extend outwardly and the corner extremities are supported upon theangular edges 22a of the guide tabs 22 and thus restrained againstdropping within the container and out of reach. In this manner thematerial of the roll (or otherwise packaged material) remains availablefor convenient grasping whereby withdrawal and severance of the nextsuccessive length may be accomplished.

There has thus been described a novel shipping, storing and dispensingcontainer` of the character contemplated which will be particularlydurable, which may be ma'nufactured with extreme economy, and from whichpredetermined lengths of sheet material may be dispensed and severedautomatically. Since various changes may be made in the invention,without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, the invention isnot considered limited by that which is shown in the drawing anddescribed in the specification and reference therefore is made to theclaims for summaries of the essentials of the invention, novel featuresof construction, and novel comy binations of parts, for all of whichprotection is desired.

What is claimed is:

1. A container for the shipping, storing and successive dispensing ofpredetermined lengths from a continuous web of sheet material which hasbeen provided `with spaced and transversely disposed severance lines,each of said severance lines including a central portion of greatestfrangibility, sai-d central portion comprising a plurality of relativelyshort spaced slit-like perforations havingextremely narrow tie portionstherebetween, said severance line including a portion of increasedresistance to severance located on either side of said central portion,said portions of increased resistance being of lesser length than:

said central portion and comprising a plurality of spaced slit-likeperforations each of which. is at least twice the length of theslit-like perforations of the central portion, the width of the tiespaces between the slit-like perforations of said portions of increasedresistance being at least twice the width of the tie spaces of thecentral` portion, the remainder of said severance line extendingoutwardly to the edges of said sheet material comprising a plurality ofspaced slit-like perforations of approximately the same length asrthoseof said central portion, thewidth of the tie spaces between theslit-like perforations of said remainder of the severance line beinggreater than that of the central portion but lesser than that of theportions of increased resistance, said container being provided with adispensing orifice having an edge over which material dispensed iswithdrawn, said edge being provided with a guide tab adjacent eachextremity thereof over which material being withdrawn is supported andalso being provided with a centrally located arresting tab located inalignment with the central portion of said severance line and spacedfrom said guide tabs by opposed notches, said arresting tab penetratingthe central portion of greatest frangibility as material is withdrawnwhereby predetermined lengths ymay be severed along successive tearlines with the material on each side of the arresting tab beingsupported within said opposed notches.

2. A container as set forth in claim 1, said container including top,bottom, front, rear and end wall portions, the top edge of the frontwall portion comprising one edge of the dispensing orice and beingprovided with guide tabs at the extremities thereof and a centrallylocated arresting tab spaced from said guide tabs by opposed notches.

3. In combination, a container as set forth in claim 2 and sheetmaterial in the form of a tlattened thermoplastic tubular film sealedtransversely immediately `adjacent a severance line, wherebypredetermined lengths of bag-like containers may be successively severedtherefrom.

y References Cited by the Examiner` UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,598,0505/1952 Guyer 229-17 2,968,431 l/196l Pellaton 229-17 3,096,918 7/1963Van Dyke et al 225--48 3,098,594 7/1963 Williamson 22S-48 WILLIAM W.DYER, IR., Primary Examiner.

I. M. MEISTER, Assistant Examiner.

1. A CONTAINER FOR THE SHIPPING, STORING AND SUCCESSIVE DISPENSING OFPREDETERMINED LENGTHS FROM A CONTINUOUS WEB OF SHEET MATERIAL WHICH HASBEEN PROVIDED WITH SPACED AND TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED SEVERANCE LINES,EACH OF SAID SEVERANCE LINES INCLUDING A CENTRAL PORTION OF GREATESTFRANGIBILITY, SAID CENTRAL PORTION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELYSHORT SPACED SLIT-LIKE PERFORATIONS HAVING EXTREMELY NARROW TIE PORTIONSTHEREBETWEEN, SAID SEVERANCE LINE INCLUDING A PORTION OF INCREASEDRESISTANCE TO SEVERANCE LOCATED ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL PORTION,SAID PORTIONS OF INCREASED RESISTANCE BEING OF LESSER LENGTH THEN SAIDCENTRAL PORTION AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACED SLIT-LIKEPERFORATIONS EACH OF WHICH IS AT LEAST TWICE THE LENGTH OF THE SLIT-LIKEPERFORATIONS OF THE CENTRAL PORTION, THE WIDTH OF THE TIE SPACES BETWEENTHE SLIT-LIKE PERFORATIONS OF SAID PORTIONS OF INCREASED RESISTANCEBEING AT LEAST TWICE THE WIDTH OF THE TIE SPACES OF THE CENTRAL PORTION,THE REMAINDER OF SAID SEVERANCE LINE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY TO THE EDGE OFSAID SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACED SLIT-LIKEPERFORATIONS OF APPROXIMATELY THE SAME LENGTH AS THOSE OF SAID CENTRALPORTION, THE WIDTH OF THE TIE SPACES BETWEEN THE SLIT-LIKE PERFORATIONSOF SAID REMAINDER OF THE SEVERANCE LINE BEING GREATER THAN THAT OF THECENTRAL PORTION BUT LESSER THAN THAT OF THE PORTIONS OF INCREASEDRESISTANCE, SAID CONTAINER BEING PROVIDED WITH A DISPENSING ORIFICEHAVING AN EDGE OVER WHICH MATERIAL DISPENSED IS WITHDRAWN, SAID EDGEBEING PROVIDED WITH A GUIDE TAB ADJACENT EACH EXTREMITY THEREOF OVERWHICH MATERIAL BEING WITHDRAWN IS SUPPORTED AND ALSO BEING PROVIDED WITHA CENTRALLY LOCATED ARRESTING TAB LOCATED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CENTRALPORTION OF SAID SEVERANCE LINE AND SPACED FROM SAID GUIDE TABS BYOPPOSED NOTCHES, SAID ARRESTING TAB PENETRATING THE CENTRAL PORTION OFGREATEST FRANGIBILITY AS MATERIAL IS WITHDRAWN WHEREBY PREDETERMINEDLENGTHS MAY BE SEVERED ALONG SUCCESSIVE TEAR LINES WITH THE MATERIAL ONEACH SIDE OF THE ARRESTING TAB BEING SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID OPPOSEDNOTCHES.